Eleven seniors to watch

WAUSAU – Friday's season-opening matchup between Wausau West and Marshfield at Thom Field is not just a nonconference game between two postseason qualifiers from last year.

It also is a chance to see two of the top senior linebackers in the state in West's Jake Whalen and Marshfield's Mitch Zillman. While both are defensive starters, there is a chance for a head-to-head meeting on the field, as Whalen also starts at fullback and is the leading returning rusher for the Warriors.

The two are among 11 local senior players to watch this season from the coverage areas of the Wausau Daily Herald, Stevens Point Journal, Marshfield News-Herald and Wisconsin Daily Tribune.

Whalen has received scholarship offers from Air Force and South Dakota State University and is the fifth-ranked senior in the state by wissports.net.

"It's about hard work always," Whalen said of his success. "But really (the season statistics) are the result of a team effort."

Here is a closer look at the 11 local senior players.

• Reegan Anderson, Almond-Bancroft: Rushed for 1,817 yards and 23 TDs on 241 carries (7.5 yards per carry) last year. Rushed for more than 200 yards four times with a season-high of 252 yards against Wausaukee. Was a first-team All-Central Wisconsin Conference pick and an honorable mention all-state selection by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and the Associated Press.

• Nathan Belisle, Athens: The Bluejays offensive and defensive tackle is listed at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds. He was a first-team All-Cloverwood Conference selection and helped the Bluejays average 252.5 yards per game on the ground last season as Athens captured the conference championship.

• Nathan Dupee, Pittsville: The Panthers running back totaled 1,964 yards and 26 touchdowns to help his team come within a win of a spot in the WIAA Division 7 championship game. Dupee was a unanimous selection to the All-Marawood Conference team.

• Bryce Niemi, Owen-Withee: The Blackhawks standout earned Cloverwood Conference offensive player of the year honors after rushing for 1,490 yards and 18 touchdowns last year, averaging 135.5 yards per game. He opened the season with a 254-yard performance against Assumption.

• Aaron Peckham, Nekoosa: The Papermakers linebacker recorded 85 tackles last season and has 158 over the past two seasons. Has been a unanimous selection to the All-South Central Conference team since his junior year and should have an expanded role as a running back this season

• Andrew Ruzek, SPASH: Considered the third-best senior defensive lineman in the state by wissports.net, the 6-foot-6 end recorded eight tackles for a loss last season. Earned All-Valley Football Association first-team honors.

• Ethan Seubert, Marathon: The Raiders running back and linebacker earned second-team All-Marawood Conference honors on both offense and defense. He rushed for 1,274 yards and 24 touchdowns as the Raiders earned a share of the conference championship.

• Jake Whalen, Wausau West: Whalen was an All-Valley Football Association North Division selection at both linebacker and fullback. Honorable mention all-state pick at linebacker by WFCA and AP. Totaled 111 tackles, including 75 solo, five for loss, a sack and four passes defended. Also rushed for 627 yards and eight touchdowns.

• Kaleb Wolf, Edgar: The Wildcats' multi-dimensional weapon takes over at quarterback this season and will start at linebacker. Had 13 tackles for losses last year, including five sacks. Wolf was a unanimous All-Marawood selection as a kicker last year and also was named honorable mention all-state by the WFCA.

• Connor Zblewski, Amherst: The Falcons running back rushed for 1,492 yards and 22 touchdowns on 184 attempts as his team fell one win short of a return trip to the Division 5 state championship game. Was a first-team All-Central Wisconsin Conference-8 selection.

• Mitch Zillman, Marshfield: The Tigers inside linebacker was a first-team All-Valley Football Association South Division selection last year, as he totaled 110 tackles. Has been a starter for Marshfield since his freshman year and has attracted college interest from a number of NCAA Division I and II programs.

Tim Johnson can be reached at 715-845-0731. Find him on Twitter @timmyjo11